Figure 21: Hydro’s conceptual architecture for digital maintenance
Source: Adapted from an internal figure in Hydro
Hydro is working towards a digital maintenance strategy, where the maintenance system,SAP PM, asset performance, IT and infrastructure and the organisation are set as focus areas. As the assets are ageing, new ways of working could capture the current situation to adapt the improvement measures towards a better path. An analytic workbench has been established in Hydro to keep track of the ongoing digitalisation. New tools have been included, and the idea is to liberate all the data gathered throughout the years. The conceptual architecture developed is visualised in Figure 21. Today, Hydro is working with data acquisition and data processing as the foundation for further condition monitoring and asset performance, in addition to machine analysis. The architecture involves capturing the data produced around the different plants from different sources, such as machines, sensors and different databases, with additional information. This data is made available in a data layer, the trusted data layer (TDL). Digital Maintenance Toolbox (DMT) is developed for integrating new digitised tools in maintenance everyday life. The expansion of the DMT is visualised in Figure 22. Fromroot cause analysis, the plan is to develop step-by-step until
reaching digital twin. The steps include visualisation, rule-based alarms, anomaly detection and machine learning, where every step include more data and increases the complexity of the solution.
Following this development, the step from inspection of failures on-demand to identifying failures automatically will be taken. This includes visualising important parameters, getting warnings from defined rules based on experience and utilising historical data for failure detection.
Figure 22: Overview of Hydro’s digital maintenance development
Source: Adapted from an internal figure in Hydro
In Hydro, there are a lot of historical data available, both concerning maintenance and operations.
The issue has been the accessibility of the data, but more and more data are now made available through the data layers. SAP PM has been Hydro’s maintenance system since 1999, and most of their maintenance data, such as costs, hours spent, materials and maintenance strategies, are found here. This data is now made available through the cloud solutionSAP HANA. The two new tools SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office and SAP Asset Strategy and Performance Management Software (ASPM) are integrated into Hydro’s platform through the work with the DMT. These tools make use of the data fromSAP PM and make the data more available.
APICS (Aluminium Production Information and Control System) is the MES solution used in Hydro, and it consists of different modules corresponding with the steps in the aluminium pro-duction process. It is developed in-house, and the different modules are built within a common development framework. The system can be operated through a web browser interface and is run off the local infrastructure. The moduleAPICS Carbon is used at the carbon facility in ˚Ardal.
TheAPICS PPP (Plant Performance Portal) visualises the plants’ current performance, where production stops and losses are reported, which is the basis for the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) calculations. The information registered in APICS are stored in TDL, and reports are presented inAPICS PPP.
Data from both of these tools,SAP and APICS, could be analysed to say something about the current status of a system. By combining it with condition data directly from the system, the per-formance of the assets could be evaluated, which is the idea behind the ongoing digital maintenance project, further described in the next section.
4.3.1 Ongoing project
As previously mentioned, there is an ongoing project with digital maintenance at the carbon facility in ˚Ardal. The project initially was set in motion in Sunndal but has now transitioned to the green mill (massefabrikken) in ˚Ardal. The project shall investigate asset performance and condition-based maintenance. The data to be used is available in TDL and visualised through Grafana, the solution Hydro has chosen as a dashboard for monitoring the alarms. This open-source tool combining data from several sources to a dashboard is used to visualise the assets and handle the alarms. The data used is data from the SCADA system throughout the facility, which is seen as a better solution than adding additional sensors. The data already generated by the system is now going to be used. This dashboard will be the user interface for the departments of both maintenance and operations. An additional alarm system connected toGrafana will be used for
alerts if the condition measures reach a given threshold. The dashboard visualises the trends in the measurements. The idea is that a connection toSAP will make it possible to create maintenance orders easier. If an alarm goes off, it shall be able to investigate previous maintenance orders directly, to give a good indication for the cause behind the alarm.
The project is now in an initial phase, where the system and the available data is being analysed.
The next step is to implement surveillance before taking a step towards measuring asset perform-ance. The dashboard is then implemented before the goal is to update the maintenance plans and processes. The idea is to handle one area of the facility at a time. Before initiating the project, it was essential to identify the real business cases related to reducing the time spent on preventive maintenance due to the implementation of condition-based maintenance. The number of urgent maintenance actions could be reduced whilst also lowering the cost of the materials. When the integration of the digital tools is completed, it will be easier to identify root causes. This project, therefore, integrates the three first steps on Hydro’s development plan towards digital maintenance, from Figure 22.
4.3.2 Maintenance strategy
The idea of making an integrated dashboard for both the maintenance department and operations is in line with Hydro’s new maintenance strategy. The goal is for these two divisions to work together for the same mutual target. In order to improve the performance of the asset, the production efficiency, reduce profit loss, and work for continuous improvement, there is no room for internal competition, and everyone must therefore work toward the same target. Detecting and visualising profit losses and continuing down the digitalisation path are parts of the revised maintenance strategy. Another essential part of Hydro’s maintenance strategy is integrating the new digital tools into the working process. Every step of the maintenance process could be strengthened by incorporating the new tools.
4.3.3 Asset performance
Asset performance will be necessary for Hydro’s further development. This development is also significant beyond the aspect of maintenance. When transitioning from time-based inspections to condition-based maintenance through digital monitoring, time will be saved. By integrating the available data, optimisation of the operations is possible. The focus in Hydro is also to spend time on training to make sure that the development is understood and accepted. The development is for the entire organisation, and everyone must therefore be included. Hydro is working on several other projects regarding digital development and taking their data to use, and Hydro’s future maintenance process is visualised in Figure 23, which is the direction Hydro is working towards. Digital tools are included throughout the entire maintenance process. Asset monitoring and analytics of collected data will be part of the daily work, enabling decision-making based on the collected data. The new digital tools will bring it all together for the future.
Required function is seen as necessary for the development towards asset performance in Hydro.
Today, it is difficult to quantify the assets regarding loss in function, cycle times and availability.
The different systems and assets consist of several components, and several parameters are affecting the availability. There are also several one-of-a-kind machines, which makes it even more difficult.
Therefore, it is important to define the required function and compare what the asset delivers towards this requirement, which must first be completed on the assets with high criticality. By measuring the current asset performance, the awareness of how well the assets deliver will increase.
Decisions regarding what to measure and the requirements of the assets must be made to make this happen. The data available must be assessed and utilised. By surveying the performance, anomalies could be detected, linking condition monitoring and asset performance ideas. Profit losses could further be included. By increasing the awareness of the asset requirements, the asset performance, and the losses between them, asset performance management is possible. The balance between the performance of the assets, the costs and the risks must be found. Hydro focuses on the three aspects influencing this process, the assets, the people and the systems. By analysing
Figure 23: Hydro’s future maintenance process
Source: Adapted from an internal figure in Hydro
the system chosen for this case study, the first step towards this direction is made. The following section will describe the process where the system of analysis, the transportation line of anodes, is used.